Pizza - Basil Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

Week 13 in the Pizza 2011 Project!

1/4th of the way through and no end in sight!  Still haven't talked about Stromboli or Deep dish or Chicago style (not the same as deep dish), and plenty of toppings left to explore for a standard pizza.

Last week, I made a Sun dried Tomato Pesto Pizza.  This week, I finish with the pesto style with a more standard Basil Pesto Pizza (topped with cherry tomatoes).

Basil Pesto is easy to make, big bunch of Basil leaves (minced), combined with a bit of Parmesan Cheese, Walnuts (pine nuts if you prefer) and olive oil.  Play around with the amounts til you get a taste and consistancy you like.  For a pizza sauce, use a bit less oil than normal for a dipping sauce (keep that crust from getting soggy).

OK... Here's how to make a 

Mini Sun Sried Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Pizza...

Crust of choice, premade or homemade My "go-to" pizza dough recipe)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup Basil Pesto
thin slices of Mozzarella cheese to line the bottom
a few baby tomatoes sliced

• Preheat oven and pizza stone (or heavy baking sheet) to 550 degrees for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll your crust out on parchment paper to your likeness... Thin, Chewy or thick like a bread.
• Brush Olive oil around the edges to get a beautiful Golden Brown and Delicious looking crust.
• Salt and pepper the crust at this time
• Layer the pesto sauce to within 1/2 inch of the edge
• Top with the cheese and the tomatoes..
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• serve!

A great lunch!